Is draining the hot tub or pool on your fall chore list?

If so, please follow these steps to avoid harming the environment. Pool water contains chemicals that are toxic to fish and other aquatic life. Debris from backwash water can fill the spaces in stream bed gravel, preventing oxygen from reaching fish eggs and young fish.

Options to dispose of hot tub or pool water safely

1. Where available, the preferred method is to drain all of the old water via a permanent sanitary sewer connection or cleanout.  If you have this option, use it! (Never drain water into a private septic system.)
2. If there isn’t a sanitary sewer connection or accessible cleanout, slowly drain water to a landscaped area on your property to allow the water to soak into the ground. Your lawn will thank you!
3. If options 1 and 2 don’t work for your property, discharge the water to the City stormwater system.  If you use this method, follow all of these steps to avoid violating Kirkland City code:
   • Discontinue adding chemicals. Turn off the pool heater.
   • Add neutralizing chemicals or let water “sit” long enough to drop chlorine level.
   • Test water to determine chlorine (must be 0.10 ppm or less) and pH level (must be between 6 and 8).
   • Make sure water is free of color, dirt, suds, algae, filter media, acid cleaning wastes.
   • Drain water slowly to stormwater system.

Never allow water to flow onto a neighbor’s property!

Learn more about what you can do for clean water. 

Questions? Email RTuomisto@kirklandwa.gov for assistance.